The main objective of this doctoral thesis is to better understand the role of body (dis)satisfaction in the adoption of practices directed toward body weight maintenance or body weight modification among Quebec adolescents.
To reach this overall thesis objective, three theoretically and conceptually linked scientific papers were written. Although linked to one another, each paper pursues specific research objectives (1st article: to estimate proportions of adolescents with a weight goal that matched and mismatched weight status, and to identify correlates of a mismatched weight goal, 2nd article: to examine associations between matched vs. mismatched weight goals and the frequency of use of different weight-related behaviors, 3rd article: to examine associations between different levels of body dissatisfaction and different frequencies of use of weight-related behaviors and, to investigate whether or not the person’s weight goal moderates these associations) which allow for answering the main thesis objective. These papers were generated from secondary data analyses on a quantitative dataset built by the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) and named: Quebec Child and Adolescent Health and Social Survey. This dataset was based on data collected from a representative population-based sample of Quebec children and adolescents aged nine, 13, and 16 years old.
The results of this thesis indicate that body dissatisfaction is associated with pursuing a mismatched weight goal as well as with the use of healthy, unhealthy, and disordered health behaviors. Associations are also observed between weight goals and weight-related behaviors used to reach weight goals. Indeed, pursuing a mismatched weight goal was found to be associated with the use of unhealthy weight-related behaviors across both sexes. This association is however not significant for the use of healthy and disordered health behaviors. These behaviors were solely predicted by body dissatisfaction. Mediation and moderation effects were also identified. It was found that being body dissatisfied mediated the association between psychological distress among adolescent girls and pursuing a mismatched weight goal. Finally, pursuing a mismatched weight goal was also found to moderate associations between body dissatisfaction and using unhealthy weight-related behaviors among both Quebec adolescent boys and girls.
We conclude that there are various associations between body dissatisfaction and the adoption of practices directed toward body weight maintenance or body weight modification among Quebec adolescents. Body dissatisfaction thus represents a pertinent target for public health intervention in the sense that it can serve as the basis for the elaboration of interventions aimed at promoting healthy body weights and healthy weight management strategies.